Zoe Saldana Covers InStyle Hair's Annual Issue

On her ideal hairstyle: “If I want to chop off my half my hair, I’ll take scissors and do one side before I even go to the hairdresser. For me, it’s all about trusting my instinct. Plus, that way I can’t change my mind!” Later, she adds: “At some point I want to chop mine off and learn to enhance my other virtues, instead of depending so much on my hair.”

On her mother’s best advice: “My mom raised my sisters and I with a strong sense of self. [My mother] always said, ‘Honey, there is nothing that a red lipstick and a pair of red shoes can’t heal, cure, or solve.’ And I absolutely believe that. They can get you out of anything, even the biggest funk of your life.”

On her hair: “In Latino culture, hair carries a lot of history, a lot of weight, and a lot of energy. I always liked my hair. I never wanted to have any other skin but my own, any other hair but my own… Women who spend so much of their lives wanting to have something else miss out on learning to appreciate what they do have.”